Transcriptome Analysis of Two Near-Isogenic Lines with Different NUE under Normal Nitrogen Conditions in Wheat

• Main Authors: Xinbo Zhang, Fujian Li, Yonggang Ding, Quan Ma, Yuan Yi, Min Zhu, Jinfeng Ding, Chunyan Li, Wenshan Guo, Xinkai Zhu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: Biology
• Subjects: wheat; nitrogen use efficiency (NUE); transcriptome analysis; carbon metabolism; nitrogen metabolism; differentially expressed genes (DEGs)
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/8/787

Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient element for crop productivity. Unfortunately, the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crop plants gradually decreases with the increase of the N application rate. Nevertheless, little has been known about the molecular mechanisms of differences in NUE among genotypes of wheat. In this study, we used RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) to compare the transcriptome profiling of flag leaves at the stage of anthesis in wheat NILs (1Y, high-NUE, and 1W, low-NUE) under normal nitrogen conditions (300 kg N ha⁻¹, corresponding to 1.6 g N pot⁻¹). We identified 7023 DEGs (4738 upregulated and 2285 downregulated) in the comparison between lines 1Y and 1W. The responses of 1Y and 1W to normal N differed in the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. Several genes belonging to the <i>GS</i> and <i>GOGAT</i> gene families were upregulated in 1Y compared with 1W, and the enhanced carbon metabolism might lead 1Y to produce more C skeletons, metabolic energy, and reductants for nitrogen metabolism. A subset of transcription factors (TFs) family members, such as ERF, WRKY, NAC, and MYB, were also identified. Collectively, these identified candidate genes provided new information for a further understanding of the genotypic difference in NUE.